Simplicity Series: Randi Smith

June 20, 2016

Hi, my name is Randi and I love creating confections that are both delicious and gorgeous! I’m the owner and cake designer behind Sugar Euphoria, a bakery and cake design studio located in Raleigh, NC where we create confections for all of life’s special moments. I’m married to my college sweetheart, Jeffery, and we recently welcomed home our daughter, Finley Alese.

Born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas, I now live in a Raleigh, NC and have deemed my self a hybrid island/country girl. I'm a disciple of Jesus, a lover of sweet tea, and an aspiring yogi. I've recently become obsessed with lipstick, I love everything metallic, and have a ton of chambray blouses in my closet. One of my dreams is to travel the world, although my happy place is on a beach with a minty drink in hand. Oh, and I'm a Tar Heel through and through.

How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?Get a good night’s rest! It’s been really difficult lately, as our family of two just became a family of three with the birth of our daughter Finley. However, I really try to get at least 7 hours a night. That way I feel refreshed in the morning and I can be my best self for my family, employees, and customers.

What’s your favorite beauty secret?I’m sure it’s not really a secret, but I drink lots of water and only use Dove soap and Aveeno lotion. I have super sensitive skin and I find that being consistent with the products I use really helps. Also, making sure that my eyebrows are groomed makes me feel like superwoman!

What’s your favorite go-to outfit for a quick polished look?Most days I’m in yoga pants, Crocs, and my Sugar Euphoria tee, so when it comes to looking more put together, jeans (I’m really loving the ‘boyfriend’ look), a simple t-shirt and a cute and colorful scarf is my go-to. I also love statement jewelry pieces, like large earrings or necklaces. I have really big hair, so I find that smaller, more delicate pieces of jewelry get lost under all of it. In terms of make-up, my look usually consists of a bright lipstick, eyeliner, and full brows.

What’s your favorite quick-prep dinner for your family?Curry chicken,cole slaw and jasmine rice. It was one my mom’s go-to meals when I was growing up and reminds me of home. For the curry chicken, you just dump everything in the pot at once and let it simmer for a while – super easy. Plus, it makes for really delicious left-overs!

Tell us your favorite Instagram account to follow and why?Whoa! This is a tough one! I follow so many beautiful and inspiring accounts, but I’m really loving The Little Big Company's Instagram feed. They style really unique, fun, and beautiful dessert tables in Australia. We’ve teamed up with Suite Paper to launch a party & dessert styling service, so it’s really cool to see all of the amazing things that people are doing in that field.

What tradition or routine is important to you?Going to church on Sunday morning and then over to my in-laws’ house for Sunday dinner. The fellowship at church, the sermon, the time spent with my family, all of these things make me so joyful and energized for the week ahead.

What’s in your purse? A ton of washi tape (I think I have about 10 different colors) for my Simplified Planner, hand sanitizer, my wallet, chapstick, and cell phone, Oh, and an insane amount of edible glitter from a recent photo shoot.

Where do you find your inspiration?Everywhere! When designing cakes that are on-trend, I find inspiration from articles of clothing, or a pattern from an envelop liner that I’ve come across, even from a floral arrangement and that’s what makes cake designing so much fun! Also, I pull a lot of inspiration related to flavor profiles from the Caribbean and other places I’ve visited.

We know you’re busy. How do you balance all of your work responsibilities with your home and personal life? Any tips for our readers?I had no idea how hard it would be to balance baking and running a brick and mortar shop with my home and personal life once Finley was born. I thought I could just walk in to bakery, put her down and jump right into baking, then go home to cook, clean, and spend time with my husband, but that hasn’t been the case at all! Slowly, but surely I’m getting into a routine at work and at home. I’m learning to give myself grace when things don’t do exactly as planned and I think that is so crucial to juggling it all. I would also say to be selfish with your time. It is OK to tell people that you just can’t do something if it is going to conflict with the things you’ve made a priority.

What’s your favorite app for helping you do life?

Honey book has really helped me get my life together! I love that I can store all of the weddings, events, and orders in one place. Plus, which the Google Calendar integration I can add personal calendars to Honeybook. Now I have all of my appointments and activities in three different places – Honeybook, my Simplified Planner, and Google Calendar. It helps to make life a lot less chaotic.